It's a natural part of a woman's life but millions is spent every year to get rid of it. Dig into the controversial, personal, peculiar, furry world of female body hair.
Hair and Loathing
Claim This Podcastby TAHI
6 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇳🇿
Podcast Overview
It's a natural part of a woman's life but millions is spent every year to get rid of it. Dig into the controversial, personal, peculiar, furry world of female body hair.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/28/2022
1 verified contact email on file for Hair and Loathing
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
October 18, 2023
Hairy Areas: Top to Toe with Petra Bagust
<p>Petra Bagust (Grey Areas) and Charlotte Cook (Hair And Loathing) share intimate details and personal stories about different parts of their bodies and how their hair impacts their everyday lives.</p><p><a href="https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6339359934112">Watch the video version of the episode here</a></p><p>If you've ever wondered why people want lovely long eyelashes and hair - but are not so keen on the monobrow or the dreaded sign of salt and pepper ageing - we might just have the podcast for you.</p><p>Broadcasters and award-winning podcasters Petra Bagust (Grey Areas) and Charlotte Cook (Hair and Loathing) have become accidental advocates of embracing both body hair and grey hair. In a special crossover podcast episode, the two reflect on their respective experiences of going grey and being hairy.</p><p>Petra and Charlotte also run through some of the reactions they've had from the outside world and how they have felt along the way. Charlotte proudly shows off her slowly evolving grey hair collection while Petra talks about all the ways she's tried to keep herself to the impossible standard of the 'hairless norm'.</p><p>Together they talk about societal expectations, challenging the norm, and why society is so invested in what other people do with their HEAD and BODY hair. The pair start by chatting over a favourite pastime with a luxurious hair 'edit' from stylist Stephen Marr in the video below, before settling in at Petra's home to discuss everything prickly from top to toe.</p><p><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/hair-and-loathing?share=elf_audio_2018910676">Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details</a></p>
March 13, 2022
Culture, colonisation and the short and curlies
<p>Western women have been pushed around by powerful marketing for around a century to maintain the hairless beauty standard, but that's not the same for all ethnicities. In episode four Charlotte Cook looks at the cultural and religious aspects of body hair.</p><p>By Charlotte Cook</p><p>Society for hundreds of years has told women to be hairless. </p><p>Until recently women are rarely ever shown with any hairy bits anywhere in the media. I certainly never braved my pits in public. (Until now). </p><p>But slowly people and brands have started to challenge what is seen as 'normal' - although we still have a long way to go. </p><p>As a pakeha woman, the westernised ideal of hairlessness has been the standard I've tried so hard to meet.</p><p>Billions of dollars every year is spent telling me how I should look, behave and dress. </p><p>But the women of New Zealand are all kinds of body shapes, types and have various amounts of hair.</p><p>So I got off my hairy butt and went out to find some other women to tell me how - their ethnicities, cultures, upbringings and religions impacted their decisions around body hair. </p><p>Firstly I heard from Ana Mcallister, she's a artist writer, Instagram influencer and a body positive wahine Māori -@Nope.thank.you.very.much</p><p>There has been a lot of mahi around wahine and the decolonisation of their periods. Ana said there isn't the same focus on this in terms of body-hair but it's definitely on the rise around beauty standards as a whole. </p><p>She said there was no shame or whakama around body hair until colonisation came on the scene. </p><p>As part of her decolinisation and acceptance of bodies she chooses to grow it all out and make it sexy.</p><p>"Disrupting that by doing things that they would consider gross or unfeminine or not sexually attractive is a way to disrupt that whole system of how we've been represented for 251 years..."</p><p>Talking to her, about how she embraces her body, made me feel instantly better and more sexy in mine. </p><p>But what we choose to do is not always about beauty, for some people it is religious.</p><p>Anjum Rahman is someone we hear from on topics about hate speech, terrorism or the Christchurch Mosque attacks. </p><p>But in this instance, I got to hear her most wonderful giggle as we talked about what her body hair means to her and her faith. </p><p>Muslim men and women are both required to remove their armpit and public hair. It's not gendered, it's just about keeping clean and following the religion. </p><p>"As long as you can't wrap it around your finger it's okay..."</p><p>It's not scientific, but it's the measurement some people go by to know when they need a trim... …</p><p><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/hair-and-loathing?share=elf_audio_2018813537">Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details</a></p>
March 13, 2022
From peach fuzz to nipple beards
<p>Toes, tummies, upper lips, gorilla hands, chins and everywhere in-between...hair! It's everywhere! And some of it, for good reason. Others, not so much. In this third episode of Hair and Loathing Charlotte Cook finds out about hormones, treatments and the journey for transwomen.</p><p>Toes, tummies, upper lips, gorilla hands, chins and everywhere in-between...hair! It's everywhere. And some of it, for good reason. Others, not so much. </p><p>By Charlotte Cook</p><p>In this episode I talk about hormones, treatments and the journey for transwomen, and once again, it might be a confronting listen for some of you.</p><p>We know that most bodies have hair. It comes in varying degrees, but for the most part, it's normal - even if we are told it isn't! So how do we rule out if it's a red flag for something more serious like a health condition?</p><p>Endocrinologist Dr Stella Milsom said, "There are a few tell-tale signs, but most of it has to do with hormones."</p><p>She says what's considered a 'normal' amount of hair tends to depend on your family history and ethnicity.</p><p>But unfortunately, there's no real test to determine how much you should have.</p><p>Instead, there is a test called the Ferriman-Gallwey scale which scores the face, chest, abdomen, legs and back.</p><p>But concerns for people vary and some people with modest body hair are really troubled by it, she said.</p><p>The next step is to work out what's causing it. Often it's because of the male type hormone, Androgen, which can trigger "male pattern hair growth" - the parts you would typically expect a man to grow hair.</p><p>There is also a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The condition affects about 10 percent of women in New Zealand who usually have an increased level of testosterone and insulin. The symptoms range from mild to severe and can include irregular or heavy periods, acne, excess facial or body hair, scalp hair loss and weight gain.</p><p>Andrea was diagnosed with PCOS in 2018, and knows the psychological impacts of body hair all too well.</p><p>"I have excessive hair on my arms, stomach, feet, toes, moustache, I've got a monobrow as well. I've just always been quite a hairy person."</p><p>"When I was diagnosed with PCOS it kinda made sense as to why I was such a hairy person."</p><p>This knowledge helped her move past her youth where she compared herself to others, and realised that hair is nothing to be ashamed about.</p><p>Though for some women, their journey with body hair is a little different.</p><p>One of those people who's had a tougher job of navigating body hair is Tris. She's been taking male-to-female hormone replacement therapy for 2 years…</p><p><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/hair-and-loathing?share=elf_audio_2018812803">Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details</a></p>
6 total episodes available
Similar Podcasts
Discover related shows you might enjoy
At Home with Kelly + Tiffany
At Home with Kelly + Tiffany
Binchtopia
Julia Hava & Eliza McLamb
Girls Gone Deep
Elle and Vee
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
History Hit
Heaven In Your Home
Francie Winslow
Sex With Emily
Dr. Emily Morse
Cat & Nat Unfiltered
Cat & Nat
You Beauty
Mamamia Podcasts
The Sarah Silverman Podcast
Lemonada Media
Girls Gotta Eat
Dear Media
Deep Cover: Never Seen Again
Pushkin Industries
You're Dead to Me
BBC Radio 4
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Mel Robbins
The Daily
The New York Times
Deep-dive analytics for Hair and Loathing
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Hair and Loathing?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.